A Monkey Bread Breakfast

It really doesn't matter how old they are, children can help in the kitchen. I love to cook, we've established that! I adore my granddaughter! I may not have established that (okay, maybe I have)! She's three, opinionated, and the light of my life!! And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE cooking with her!

Emilee Mackenzie (Mack) can do anything I want her to do! From spreading out french fries in a single layer on a baking sheet, to helping me make Monkey Bread, she's willing and excited to help! No task is too small!

So get the kids in the kitchen! The experience is two-fold! You, and they, will get some amazing memories, and you just might teach them something!

Monkey Bread
One child, or two, or three! Whatever you have available! (I used one 3 year old)
3-10 ct tubes of ready to bake biscuits
1 c sugar
1/4 cinnamon
1-1/2 sticks melted unsalted butter, cooled
loaf baking pan

Icing
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c powdered (confectioner's) sugar
milk

Melon, your choice (I used a cantaloupe)
Bacon, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray your loaf pan with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon and the sugar. Now make an assembly line, cutting board, cinnamon sugar, melted butter, then the loaf pan.

The adult opens the biscuit tubes and cuts each biscuit in half. You can roll each biscuit half into a ball or have the kids do it. Let little hands roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar and then dip them into the butter. It's important that the butter be cooled enough that they won't burn themselves! Place the ball into the loaf pan. Repeat this process until all the balls are in the loaf pan. If there's any leftover cinnamon sugar or butter just pour it over the top of the Monkey Bread. Don't worry about licked fingers! If the kids were sick, you wouldn't have them in the kitchen to begin with!

The adult puts the Monkey Bread in the oven and bakes it's for 25-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Next, I put the bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake it with the Monkey Bread until it's my desired crispness. I don't allow the kids to do this because it involves working with raw meat.

Now, cut up the melon. I let little hands move the melon chunks from the cutting board to the bowl.

For the icing, in a large mixing bowl, cream the cheese and butter together. The kids can add the ingredients to the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Add the powdered sugar and incorporate thoroughly. The icing will be stiff at this point. Add milk by the spoonful, until it's your desired dipping consistency. On high speed, whip the icing until it's light and fluffy, about one minute. Pour the icing into a bowl for the table. Allow the kids to lick spoon and bowl!

Makes one loaf of Monkey Bread and icing for dipping.

Enjoy!

Heathan Cookies

The name is just a play on words. These chewy sweet drops of love have Heath bits and chopped pecans in them, two of my favorite things. Heath + Pecan = Heathans!! They are heavenly good!

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter (softened) or butter flavored shortening, not margarine
8 oz Heath toffee bits
1-1/2 cup chopped pecans (This is not an exact measure. I love pecans and just chopped up a huge amount!)

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter or shortening until fluffy. Add sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and beat for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each. Turn beaters to low and SLOWLY add the flour. Once the flour is well integrated, stir in, by hand, the toffee bits and chopped pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoon (I use a miniature ice cream scoop) on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies

LETS TALK! If you haven't invested in them already, I highly recommend silicone baking sheets. SILPAT is the brand name, but there are others out there. I have KitchenAide and SILPAT (thank you Holly!). Once you start using these, you will never go back. They are amazing!

LETS TALK FLOUR! If you have it available, I suggest you give King Arthur All-Purpose Flour a try. I didn't think the brand mattered, until I tried the King Arthur. It's silky, smooth, and just a superior flour.

Roasted Garlic and Oregano Baguettes

The smell of the garlic while it roasted in the oven was mouthwatering. It permeated the air throughout the house. It was pungent and it was sweet. I thought, as I mashed the entire bulb of roasted garlic into mush, that I must have lost my mind. An entire head of garlic for two baguettes of bread?! Seriously?! Well, why not? If everyone eats the bread, then no one will be offended by garlic breath!!

2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup warm water (120 to 130 degrees f)

1 large bulb of garlic (not elephant garlic)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 egg white, slightly beaten

1 tbsp water

Cornmeal

Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the outer paper from the garlic head. Slice off the top just enough to expose all the cloves of garlic. Place the garlic in foil and drizzle on the extra virgin olive oil, working it around with your hand to ensure all the cloves are coated. Wrap securely in foil and roast in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove and let sit, in foil, for 15 minutes. Open the foil, remove the garlic bulb (it should be cool enough to handle, if not, leave it another 10 minutes). Pop the garlic cloves out into a bowl and mash into a paste with a fork. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup of the flour, the yeast, salt, and oregano. Add the warm water and the garlic paste. Beat with an electric beater on low to medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (don't be surprised if it takes as much as 8 to 10 minutes). Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl, in a warm place. Cover and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, spray it with non-stick spray, and liberally dust with cornmeal.

Roll each half of the dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle. Roll up, jellyroll style, starting from a long side. Seal well. Pinch the ends and pull slightly to taper. Place seam size down on baking sheet. In a small bowl combine the egg white and water. Brush the egg wash over the loaves. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled in size (30 to 45 minutes). Use a sharp knife to make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts, about 1/4 inch deep, across the tops of each loaf.

Bake in a 375 f. oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with the egg mixture. Return the loaves to the oven and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Immediately remove from the sheet pan and cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 loaves of bread.

TIP: I proof my bread in the oven. Preheat your oven for a few minutes, only until you feel a temperature change. You want it barely warm, not hot (just knocking the chill off the air). Place your covered bowl inside and close the door. Do not open the door until the proofing is finished. This eliminates any unwanted drafts. It works every time for me.

Chocolate Beaver Dams

Make a batch of these and it'll be sure to bring a smile to everyone's face. The chocolate and butterscotch flavors aren't overwhelming when cut with the Fluff. The flavor is chocolate with a subtle something in the background (butterscotch! But! you don't have to disclose it)! They're sweet, salty, crunchy, and oh so hard to resist!

1-11 oz bag of Butterscotch Chips

1 - 11.5 oz bag of Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

1 -7.5 oz jar Marshmallow Fluff

16 oz broken Pretzel Sticks

Place a large bowl over a pan of simmering water, or use a double boiler. Add the butterscotch chips, bittersweet chocolate chips, and Marshmallow Fluff. Stir until just melted and incorporated. Add the broken pretzel sticks. Mix until pretzels are thoroughly coated. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper. Let the candies sit until chocolate sets (I put them in the refrigerator, but then I'm not known for my patience!)

Makes 4-5 dozen candies

Cocoa Rounds

These scrumptious chocolate gems may be little in stature, but they're BIG on flavor! And they're just the right size to pop in your mouth. Like their cousins, the Italian Wedding Cookie, they're all melt in your mouth sweetness on the outside and light and airy on the inside.
So enjoy one ... or five!!






Cookies
1-1/2 c Butter or Margarine, unsalted
3/4 c Confectioners' Sugar
3/4 tsp Salt
1-1/2 c Almonds, ground
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Vanilla
3 c All-Purpose Flour, sifted
1/2 c Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa

Coating
2 c Confectioners' Sugar
1/2 c Ghrirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa

Preheat oven to 325 F. Sift the flour and chocolate together and set aside. Cream the butter or margarine in a bowl, gradually add confectioners' sugar and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the almonds and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture gradually and mix well. Shape into balls, using about 1 teaspoon for each cookie. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (I use a silicone mat) and bake for 15-20 minutes until set, but not browned. Cool slightly and roll in confectioners' coating. Cool completely and roll in confectioners' coating a second time.

These little darlings are even better the next day. The sugar softens the exterior of the cookie, just a wee bit. The crunch is still there, but the initial bite is effortless.



Makes 80 - 100 cookies

Ghirardelli's Award Winning Brownies

This isn't my recipe, but when you stumble across perfection you want to share it with the world. Trust me, this will be the last brownie recipe you will EVER need! They are amazing!



2 Eggs
3/4 c Sugar
1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 c Butter or Margarine, melted
3/4 c Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa
2/3 c unsifted Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Walnuts, chopped
1 c 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a spoon stir eggs with sugar and vanilla; add butter. Sift Sweet Ground Chocolate with flour, baking power, and salt. Stir into egg mixture. Add nuts and chips.
Spread into a greased 8" or 9" square baking pan. Baking 20-30 minutes.

For extra chewy brownies, use 8" pan and less baking time. For cake-like brownies, use 9" pan and longer baking time. Cut into squares.

Makes 16-20 brownies.

MY VERSION
I always double the recipe (because I'm always taking brownies to someone) and bake them in a 13x9 pan. I omit the chips and use Pecans instead of Walnuts. I also add 4 ounces of softened cream cheese to the egg mixture. The cream cheese keeps the brownies moist without them being dense; the perfect cross between chewy and cake brownies. You will have to bake them about 15 minutes more.

Shortbread Blossoms

These cookies are a delicate delectable melt in your mouth sensation! They aren't overly sweet which makes them a perfect accompaniment to an afternoon tea. They're crispy and crumbly and straight-up yumm-o. I dare you to eat just one!

I had been thinking about designing a cookie and wondered what would make me happiest. I adore shortbread cookies, but I knew I wanted them to be more than that. I originally tried this recipe with cherry preserves and named them Cherry Blossoms after the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC - which I love; however, the cherry preserves were way too difficult to work with. Instead, I used raspberry - another favorite - but you should feel free to use whatever makes you happy!

NOTE: A friend needed a Vegan version of these cookies and I was more than happy to oblige. It took some finagling but we were able to come up with a suitable alternative (actually it was her suggestion; I just did the trial run)! Use 1-3/4 c. butter flavored vegetable shortening and 4 oz. of applesauce (that’s one individual serving cup of applesauce). You may need to add a little more flour. The key here is to make sure the dough is cold and your surface is well floured. It probably wouldn’t hurt to freeze, or refrigerate, the rolling pin either. Work in smaller batches if you’re concerned. I won’t deny, they are fragile … but oh are they good!!

3 3/4 c. Flour
3/4 c. Sugar
3/4 c. Unsalted Butter
1 c. Butter Flavored Shortening
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 10 oz. jar Seedless Red Raspberry Spreadable Fruit
Confectioner's Sugar (for dusting)

In a bowl sift flour and sugar together. Cream shortening, butter and vanilla together. Add the flour mixture slowly until incorporated. You will need to scrap the bowl at least once - the mixture should resemble cornmeal.




Squeeze dough to form a ball. Move the dough to a floured work surface and kneed until smooth (about 10 times). Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for an hour.

Preheat oven to 325. In a saucepan, over low heat, or in a bowl in the microwave, melt a little less than half the Spreadable Fruit and set aside. Soften the remaining Spreadable Fruit with a spoon, or fork, and spoon into the corner of plastic bag, or pastry bag. Snip a small hole off the corner and set aside also.

Turn one half of dough out onto a well flour work surface and roll to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out your cookies (make sure the result is an even number). Cut the center out off half the cookies using a small, round cookie cutter.



Transfer the "solid" cookies to the baking sheet. Brush with the melted fruit (this is your glue).



Place a "cut-out" cookie on top to of the solid cookie. Fill the cut-out with fruit from the pastry bag.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set but not brown. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough.

Cool completely on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar.



Store in an air tight container. These cookies freeze beautifully! But! Be sure to freeze them without powdered sugar and then thaw and dust with sugar before serving.

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen 2 inch cookies.